Albanese re-elected Oz PM amid anti-Trump wave

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive three-year term in 21 years.

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Opposition leader Peter Dutton conceded defeat in Saturday’s election, saying, “We didn’t do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility for that.”

“Earlier on, I called the prime minister to congratulate him on his success tonight. It’s an historic occasion for the Labor Party and we recognise that,” he added.

The Australian Electoral Commission’s projections gave Albanese’s ruling centre-left Labour Party 70 seats and the conservative opposition coalition 24 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form governments.

Unaligned minor parties and independent candidates appeared likely to win 13 seats.

Australian Broadcasting Corp’s respected election analyst Antony Green predicted Labor would win 76 seats, the coalition 36 and unaligned lawmakers 13. Green said Labour would form a majority or minority government and that the coalition had no hope of forming even a minority government.

Energy policy and inflation have been major issues in the campaign, with both sides agreeing the country faces a cost of living crisis.

Dutton’s conservative Liberal Party blames government waste for fuelling inflation and increasing interest rates, and has pledged to ax more than one in five public service jobs to reduce government spending.

While both say the country should reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Dutton argues that relying on more nuclear power instead of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind turbines would deliver less expensive electricity.

The ruling centre-left Labor Party has branded the opposition leader “DOGE-y Dutton” and accused his party of mimicking US President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Labor argues Dutton’s administration would slash services to pay for its nuclear ambitions. “We’ve seen the attempt to run American-style politics here of division and pitting Australians against each other and I think that’s not the Australian way,” Albanese said.

Albanese also noted that his government had improved relations with China, which removed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers that had cost Australian exporters 20 billion Australian dollars (USD 13 billion) a year since Labour came to power in 2022.

The election is taking place against a backdrop of what both sides of politics describe as a cost of living crisis.

Foodbank Australia, the nation’s largest food relief charity, reported 3.4 million households in the country of 27 million people experienced food insecurity last year.

That meant Australians were skipping meals, eating less or worrying about running out of food before they could afford to buy more. The election is the first in Australia in which Baby Boomer are outnumbered by younger voters.

Modi extends wishes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Anthony Albanese for his reappointment as Australia’a Prime Minister. The PM also said with Albanese’s reappointment he expected to further “deepen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance our shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.” The PM said on X,“Congratulations @AlboMP on your resounding victory and re-election as Prime Minister of Australia! This emphatic mandate indicates the enduring faith of the Australian people in your leadership...”